MIT Jameel World Education Lab Awards $917,526 in Education Innovation Grants

14 research projects receive funding to explore diverse topics in education

Introduction: The MIT Jameel World Education Lab has recently announced the recipients of its Education Innovation Grants, totaling $917,526. These grants will support 14 research projects across various departments, labs, and centers at MIT. The projects cover a wide range of topics, including electrical engineering, extended reality, physical movement, and ecological sustainability. The aim of these grants is to foster innovative approaches to education and improve learning experiences for students worldwide. Let's delve into some of the exciting projects that have been awarded funding.

Closing the Gap Between Research and Pedagogy

"An online platform for explaining, promoting, and facilitating embodied education at MIT and beyond" — Jennifer Light, the Bern Dibner Professor of the History of Science and Technology and professor in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning Jennifer Light's project focuses on embodied education, aiming to bridge the gap between research on movement and learning and its practical implementation in classrooms. By integrating physical activity with academic instruction, Light seeks to enhance learning experiences across all levels of education. For example, elementary school geometry could be taught through yoga, middle school physics through martial arts, and high school history through dance.

Unlocking Tacit Knowledge in Glassblowing

"Making implicit knowledge explicit: tacit knowledge transfer from expert glassblowing instructors to less-experienced students at the MIT Glass Lab" — Andrés Felipe Salazar-Gomez, research scientist at MIT Open Learning; and Sanjay Sarma, the Fred Fort Flowers and Daniel Fort Flowers Professor of Mechanical Engineering In this project, Salazar-Gomez and Sarma aim to uncover and transfer the implicit knowledge held by expert glassblowing instructors to less-experienced students. Implicit knowledge is often difficult to verbalize or codify, making it challenging to teach. By utilizing scene point-of-view videos, eye tracking, and detailed instructions, the researchers hope to create instructional resources that can effectively convey this tacit knowledge to learners.

Using Games for Climate Education

"Games for climate education: developing game-based facilitation of the En-ROADS climate simulator" — Lana Cook, associate director of the MIT Systems Awareness Lab; and Eric Klopfer, director of the MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program and head of MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing Lana Cook and Eric Klopfer are exploring the use of game-based facilitation to enhance climate education. They aim to build upon the success of Climate Interactive's En-ROADS climate change simulator, which engages participants in considering the impact of different policies and actions on climate change. By developing game-based facilitation methods, Cook and Klopfer hope to scale up climate education efforts and foster a deeper understanding of the complex challenges posed by climate change.

Bridging Gaps in Literary Arts Education

"Minor notes: teaching the archival arts" — Joshua Bennett, Distinguished Chair of the Humanities and professor in MIT Literature Joshua Bennett's project seeks to address gaps in K-12 literary arts education by combining archival research with collaborative art-making. Bennett plans to work with high school seniors and faculty advisors to explore local community archives, allowing students to discover historical materials and create original works of art inspired by their findings. This innovative approach aims to enrich students' understanding of literature while fostering creativity and critical thinking skills.

Promoting Creative Learning Through Festivals

"Promoting creative learning through Festivals of Invention and Creativity: building on a successful model from Brazil" — Ann Berger Valente, educational research manager at the MIT Media Lab; and Leo Burd, director of the Lemann Creative Learning Program at the Media Lab Ann Berger Valente and Leo Burd are developing a set of resources and guides to expand the reach of creative learning experiences through Festivals of Invention and Creativity. Building on the success of the Brazilian Creative Learning Network program, the project aims to deepen and broaden the impact of creative learning experiences worldwide. Input and feedback from educators in various countries will be gathered to refine the resources and ensure their effectiveness. Conclusion: The MIT Jameel World Education Lab's Education Innovation Grants are supporting groundbreaking research projects that have the potential to revolutionize education. From integrating physical movement into academic instruction to uncovering tacit knowledge in glassblowing, these projects demonstrate the diverse and innovative approaches being explored at MIT. By addressing gaps in education and fostering creativity, these initiatives have the power to enhance learning experiences for students around the world. The grants not only support MIT researchers but also contribute to the global conversation on education and inspire educators worldwide to embrace innovative methods and means of teaching.